Mary Jane Osborn

Mary Jane Osborn
Presenting an award in 1982
Born	Mary Jane Merten (1927-09-24)September 24, 1927 Colorado Springs, Colorado
Died	January 17, 2019(2019-01-17) (aged 91) Farmington, Connecticut
Alma mater	University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of Washington (Ph.D.)
Known for	research on lipopolysaccharides, discovering the mechanism of action of methotrexate
Awards	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1977 National Academy of Sciences, 1978 National Science Board, 1980 American Academy of Microbiology, 1992
Scientific career
Fields	Biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology
Institutions	New York University College of Medicine Albert Einstein College of Medicine University of Connecticut School of Medicine University of Connecticut Health Center

Mary Jane Osborn (September 24, 1927 – January 17, 2019)^[1] was an American biochemist and microbiologist known for her research on the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (bacterial endotoxin), a key component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and discovering the mechanism of action of the anti-cancer drug methotrexate.^[2] She headed the Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Connecticut Health Center and served as president of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.